The last, last, day of the planting season.

We thought it was all over, it is now. We made one last foray, up to Pasture Wood above Marsden to plant 200 Sessile Oak. We were: myself, Geoff, Cath, Steve, Dave, Stephen, Peter W., Guy, Mandy, Duncan and Harvey the dog, and Ian Butterfield from Forest of Bradford. At break we finished off the last of the 50th Anniversary fruit cake.

We will now have  few weeks rest, before announcing our schedule of Summer work days.

Mandy

New merchandise, patches. £2 each.

Our 50th Anniversary event.

Founder Dr Derek Phillips speaking

Just a few words to say that on Saturday 5th April at Broad Oak Bowling Club we had our 50th Anniversary event. It was very well attended, with over 100 guests. Geoff premiered his film "Tree People" and there were speeches from Philip, David Ridgway, and found Dr. Derek Phillips. Guest included Sir John Harman and Jason McCartney MP. A great time was had by all.

Scammonden and Marsden

Now this is the sort of creativity the Society needs!

So, we were aiming for this to be the last day of the planting season, as our stocks of trees were coming into bud, and we want to be leave next Saturday free for 50th Anniversary preparations.

Philip led a crew to Scammonden. We were: Philip, myself, Remy, Hap, Stephen, Peter T, Steve, and Cath. We planted 70 or so remaining Oaks from the Green Building Store project - and 60 Downy Birch plus 30 Hawthorn leftovers from last week's Woodland Trust planting at Parkwood.

Brian led his team to Marsden Golf course, comprising; Vashti, Duncan, Ben, Dianne, and Trevor. They had 100 bare rooted Oak to squeeze in between existing planting.

Cake was ginger.

Guy was toiling away a the Nursery, trying to move hardcore and save our windblown polytunnel.

The cartoon is an RSVP from an ex-member, and when we see them on the 5th we may well commission some more. Brilliant!

Lindley Owls and Butterley Twite

So once again we were in two groups. Philip led the team to Butterley. They were: Philip, Hap, Ben, Neil, Vashti, and Peter T. They almost finished the Where Birds go to die planting, leaving about 40 left to do.

I took a team up to Parkwood Golcar. We were: myself, Brian, Geoff, Jess, Duncan and Harvey the Dog and Stephen. We were joined by Yolande and Sue from Lindley Infants school, and they brought with them two Guides, Hope and Sunner, and selection of parents and children from the school. Together we planted exactly 300 trees. Weather was a bit mixed, mostly good all morning, but with rain sodden ground, and one outbreak of cold sleet. The Butterley crew were less lucky with the weather and arrived back at the pub quite damp.

Mr Moriarty looking a bit muddy

Parkwood before

Parkwood after

Scammonden and Butterley

CVTS and Green Building Store at break time

Two teams played today. First of all Philip took Brian, Peter W, Peter T, Trevor, Duncan, Stephen and Ben to Scammonden to meet folk from the Green Building Store. The Green Building Store were sponsoring the planting, and joined in too. They planted around 170 out of the 250 sponsored trees.

The B team was myself, Geoff, Dave, Remy, Hap, Steve and Andrew. We began planting the final 400 at Butterley, and managed 180 of them. We were somewhat beleaguered by the mad wind that blew all morning.

Meltham Kop

Steve, Cath, and Ben (photo by Duncan)

Today, courtesy of the Woodland Trust and Ikea, we began planting 420 more trees on Meltham Kop. The trees were the Woodland Trust's "wildlife pack" designed to enhance food and shelter for a variety of birds and small mammals. We were: myself, Philip, Jess, Dianne (and Lizzie the dog), Cath, Geoff, Trevor, Brian, Vashti, Steve, Hap, Ben, Duncan (and Harvey the dog), Neil, Julia, and Ramsay. We were using recycled stakes and guards, collected by the Senior Section. Nice and bright morning, but damn windy.

Lizzie the dog and Jess

Reclaim and re-use

Brian, Trevor and Peter

A rare photo feature for the Senior Section today. Brian, Trevor, Peter and Dianne were at Marsden Golf course removing stakes and guards. With the help of the young un Jess were were able to bluetooth the photo off Dianne's blackberry onto my phone.

Guy and Philip, and many many deer guards.

The rest of us were at Scammonden removing deer stakes and guards for re-use at Parkwood. We were: myself, Vashti, Hap, Peter T, Steve, Philip, Guy, Neil, Andrew, Duncan and Harvey the Dog, Jess, Geoff and Remy. Cake was a kind of almond free cherry bakewell.

Other notable events of the morning. Hap kindly donated several prizes for the raffle to be held at the 50th, and we met Roger and Richard in the Sair, and they have very generously sponsored our room booking at the Broad Oak Bowling Club.

Back to Butterley

This morning we were back at Butterley Reservoir above Marsden, preparing to plant 400 trees that are coming to us from the Woodland Trust. We took 80 stakes and guards up with us, and then dug as many screefs as we could in the Molinia grass above "Where birds go to die". The Molinia grass is that golden (dry) looking windswept stuff, and there is no shortage of it. We were: myself, Geoff, Philip, Dave, Dan, Dianne, Peter, Trevor, Vashti, Steve, Hap and Remy. Cake was ginger, with lumps of stem ginger in it. Hopefully the trees will arrive at the National Trust Office this week, and we will be planting next Saturday.

Wholestone Moor, once moor

Ben and Geoff looking damp, but undiminished.

Continual heavy rain, wind and cold made it a gruelling morning for the three of us - me, Ben and Peter. But we got on with the task and planted, staked and guarded 50 quick-growing and hardy Italian alder trees to help with the slow growth of the trees planted on the site a few years ago. We enjoyed a brief break in the driving rain to eat some lovely cake (we could not identify it specifically but the general feeling was that it was a classic, almost like Plato's 'perfect cake'). Peter had to leave not long after the break leaving me and Ben to finish off. Two and a half hours or so later and the damp had well and truly seeped through but the work was done and the warmth of the Sair fire and a pint was very welcome.

Geoff

PS Simon, Guy and Philip were at the nursery, bagging logs and talking to a reporter from the Huddersfield Examiner. Many more people turned up for the mid-season meeting at 1pm in the Sair.

PPS Duncan and Harvey were at Merrydale, doing formative pruning?

Harvey, heroic wilderness hound.

Finishing up at Wholestone Moor

Jess in her Aldi lady-wellies and Hello Kitty rioter's mask.

Another windy morning, though with less bite to it than last week. We were: myself, Hap, Steve, Peter T, Peter W, Jess, Dianne, Vashti, Cath, Philip, Geoff, Dave, Andrew, Duncan and Harvey the Dog. Cake was the every popular Apple flapjack. We completed planting the 460 Sessile Oak and Italian Alder, with 40 Italian Alder left at the bottom of the hill for Brian and crew to do some remedial planting down there.

A windy day on Wholestone Moor

Hap and Stephen

This morning we began planting another 500 Sessile Oak and Italian Alder on Wholestone Moor, supplementing, or "beating-up" the slow growth on that site. We were: myself, Peter, Trevor, Duncan and Harvey the dog, Hap, Cath, Vashti, Remy, Dave, Andrew, Stephen, Philip, Steve, Ben and Geoff. Guy was also there early on to give project guidance. The weather was bright and clear, and you could see the cooling towers of Drax which is about 30 miles away, but there was a fierce cold wind, and it did get a bit sleety at the end. Cake was the ever popular lemon drizzle. We did wonder about the whereabouts of Mr Moriarty.

How to identify Ash dieback